There are a wide variety of structures used to store personal care products, particularly in baths and showers. Many such structures, often referred to as shower caddies, are configured for mounting on a shower pipe in a bathtub or shower stall. One popular form of a shower pipe mounted shower caddy is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,811, assigned to Selfix, Inc., the assignee of the present application. Another form of a shower caddy is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,591, also assigned to Selfix, Inc.
The shower caddies illustrated in these patents are formed from plastic coated metal wire and from molded plastic. The caddies include an upper, generally inverted U-shaped gripping portion which receives the shower pipe on which the caddy is to be mounted. The gripping portion of these caddies define a relatively reduced throat area so that the gripping portion coacts with the shower pipe to resist both longitudinal and rotational movement. Such caddies when mounted on shower pipes are stable and secure in use, are resistant to tipping even if articles are placed off-center in a position that tends to cause the caddies to rotate about the shower pipe.
Other storage caddies may be mounted directly to the wall or other surface of the shower stall or bathroom by use of suitable devices, such as, for example, suction cups, and/or adhesive supports. Yet others may be free-standing.
Such storage caddies may include one or more shelves to provide a support or storage surface for various objects of personal care products, such as, for example, bars of soap, and bottles or tubes of shampoo and similar personal care products. If a shelf is provided for bottles and similar articles, storage caddies may also include a retaining member located above the shelf to help keep such articles in place. Often such shelves are porous. For example, the shelves in coated wire caddies are usually formed by a plurality of spaced apart wires. Alternatively, shelves may be tilted to facilitate drainage.
Other storage features are often included as well, such as, for example, projections, hooks and/or bars for wash cloths or other articles that can be hung on or draped over such projections. Often, articles are placed on such caddies for storage even though the caddies do not include features specifically designed therefor. Shower caddies, for example, are often used to store razors when not being used. The razors may be placed on a caddy shelf so the entire razor rests on the elongated shelf defining elements, e.g., spaced wires. Alternatively, razors may be hung from existing hooks or projections, may be inserted between the spaced wires of a shelf and positioned so the razor head hangs from a single wire, or may be rotated so the razor head rests on a pair of shelf wires. In both instances, the depending handle passes between and extends below the shelf wires.
While storing razors in this way is popular and convenient, it is not particularly secure. Razors often are knocked off of or otherwise dislodged from these relatively unstable perches. This is inconvenient and undesirable. For example, razors that drop often become misaligned and do a poor job of shaving when used thereafter.
Existing molded and similarly formed products include handle receiving apertures, e.g., for use with toothbrushes and razors. Such small special purpose openings are not as readily formed in wire type storage caddies. In some instances, molded or similar inserts are added. While these can provide the desired storage, they increase the cost of such caddies. In addition, there is only a limited amount of space available which restricts the number of different components that can be incorporated in caddies.
It would be desirable, therefore, to incorporate in such storage caddies a capability for easily receiving razors for storage, for providing for convenient retrieval of razors for use when desired, and for simultaneously reducing the likelihood of the razors being dislodged inadvertently. It would also be desirable to form any such structure in a way to incorporate other capabilities without significantly increasing the costs of such products.